Role of livestock in food and nutritional security
Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (
Shaw, 2007). The contribution of livestock sector to food security is twofold, including both direct and indirect impacts. Direct impact can be seen for rural households where livestock supports sustenance and income whereas indirect benefit to the urban consumers in terms of access to affordable, high-quality animal-based products (
Abu Hatab et al., 2019). Livestock contributes to food supply by converting low-value inedible materials into high value products like milk, meat and eggs thus reducing pressure on arable land for crop production. The contribution of livestock products in supplying 13% of energy and 28% of protein consumed globally has been recorded (
FAO, 2009). In India the per capita availability of milkhas reached a level of 444 grams per day which was more than the world average (394 grams per day) in 2021-22, ensuring to fulfil the needs of growing population in near future also. Livestock directly contribute to nutritional security as milk, meat and eggs are nutritionally dense with high-quality protein and micronutrients (iron, zinc, vitamin A and calcium) that are essential for good health
(Steinfield et al., 2006; Ndlovu, 2010;
Bordoni and Danesi, 2017). Animal-source foods significantly contribute to prevent under-nutrition and deficiencies which positively impacts children’s physical growth and cognitive function along with improving pregnancy outcomes, reducing illness morbidity and boosting immunity (
Keusch and Farthing, 1986;
Neumann et al., 2002; Birthal and Jabir, 2005;
Sadler et al., 2012;). Livestock also offers a wide range of food source, enhancing food security and resilience amid environmental challenges. The valuable nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and zinc) in livestock manure contribute to soil fertility and boost crop yields, thereby supporting overall food production (
Devendra, 2001;
Anonymous, 2007;
Favley, 2015). Therefore, raising different types of livestock, such as cows, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry, provide a diverse range of food products, reducing dependency on a single source of food and enhancing food and nutritional security.
Growth and instability in production of livestock products
Table 1 presents the compound growth rates of various livestock products over the past five decades in the country. Egg production has exhibited a robust growth rate of approximately 6% during this period, with the highest growth rate recorded between 1981 and 1990. This impressive growth can be attributed to the Silver Revolution that took place from 1969 to 1978. Presently, the country ranks third in global egg production.
Gaware et al., (2020) observed that between 1996 and 2016, egg production in India experienced a compound annual growth rate of 5.61%. Similarly, milk production has consistently grown by around 5% over the last 40 years. Milk production constitutes around 25-30 percent of the total income generated from livestock. (
Deshmukh and Paramasivam, 2016). The operation flood program, initiated in 1970, made a significant contribution to increasing milk production from 35 million tonnes in 1980 to 210 million tonnes in 2020-an almost sevenfold increase. The White Revolution prompted the growth of cooperatives, which bolstered the supply chain of milk and its related products.
Lyngkhoi et al., (2022) found a compound annual growth rate of 4.36 % in milk production between 1990 and 2019. Over the past two decades, meat production has shown impressive growth of around 8%. Notably, the period between 2001 and 2010 experienced a remarkable 9% compound annual growth rate, followed by 5.79% during 2011-2020.
Agnihotri and Rana (2013) estimated substantial growth in sheep and goat meat production at 20.01% between 1993 and 2020, while beef and buffalo meat increased at 4.41% during the same period. However, wool production showed modest progress from 1980 to 2000 but turned negative in the last two decades.
Kumar and Misra (2021) reported a steady increase in wool production since independence, yet there was a decline from 1987 to 1993 and again from 2003 onward, with intermittent fluctuations. Despite being the home to the world’s third-largest sheep population, the country ranks 9
th in global wool production, contributing only 2% to the total global wool production. To address this, the government initiated the Integrated Wool Development Programme (IWDP) to enhance both the quantity and quality of wool produced in the country.
Table 2 depicts the production instability of eggs, milk, meat and wool during the period of 1981-2000, measured using the Cuddy Della Valle Index. Across all livestock products, except for egg production, instability levels were generally low. Egg production displayed the highest instability during the 1991-2000 period (4.90%), followed by 3.87% during 2011-2020. The overall instability in egg production noted at 21.13%, indicating a moderate level of instability. In contrast, milk production demonstrated consistently low instability across all periods, signifying a stable production trend throughout the decades. Meat production experienced moderate instability (18.14%) in the early years of the 21
st century but stabilized during 2011-2020. Overall, meat production exhibited an 8.40% instability. Wool production-maintained stability in its production, with the highest instability observed during the 2011-2020 period (4.21%). Across three decades, instability remained around 2.50% in production, leading to an overall instability in wool production categorized as low at 8.63%.
The provided table (Table 3) outlines the decade-wise % change in livestock populations in India since 1950. Whereas to get better comprehension of trend over the time figure has also been used to depict the growth rate of livestock population (Fig 1). Cattle population maintained a steady increase until 1992 but experienced a decline afterward, growing modestly at a rate of 0.84% in the last decade. Buffalo population consistently grew since 1950 but slowed to a rate of 1.10% in the recent decade. The sheep population has exhibited substantial growth since 1950, aside from the negative growth rate of 0.50% during the 1961-72 decade. This impressive pace has been maintained in recent times. Goat population has consistently shown remarkable growth rates across all studied decades, notably achieving an astounding growth rate of 41.19% during the 1972-82 period. Pig population demonstrated impressive growth until 2003, but subsequently experienced negative growth rates of 23.70% during 2003-12 and 11.65% during 2012-19. The poultry population exhibited exceptional growth from 1950 onwards, surpassing growth rate of any other livestock population, with rates varying between a low of 16.81% during 2012-19 and a high of 55.37% during 1951-61. This remarkable expansion corresponds with the consistent growth rate observed in egg production as well.
Dinesh et al., (2023) corroborated similar observations, noting a consistent growth rate in goat and sheep populations from 1997 to 2019. The researchers also highlighted a stagnation or deceleration in the cattle and buffalo populations across India.
Yasmeen et al., (2019) undertaken an analysis of six livestock censuses conducted between 1982 and 2012. Their findings indicated an overall livestock growth rate of 0.21% during this period. Specifically, cattle exhibited an annual growth rate of 0.21%, while buffalo, sheep and goats displayed annual growth rates of 2.31%, 1.95% and 1.31%, respectively.
Growth and instability in exports of livestock products
Table 4 illustrates the export growth of livestock products ensuing India’s adoption of globalization. The findings indicate that dairy products exhibited a compound annual growth rate of 4.87 % from 1991 to 2021. The most notable decade was from 2001 to 2010, showcasing a peak export growth rate of 9.76%, followed a more moderate 2.15% during recent decade (2011-21). This impressive growth suggests that India’s LPG policy facilitated the global outreach of surplus milk production achieved through the Operation Flood program. However, the poultry sector experienced fluctuations in export growth. Over the entire period from 1991 to 2021, the poultry sector demonstrated growth rate of 12.11%. The peak export growth for poultry occurred during 2001-2010. In contrast, the other two decades in the study recorded negative growth rates, with a substantial decline of -4.69 % in exports from 2011 to 2021, followed by a -2.90% during 1991-2000
. Over the entire study period, meat exports increased by 7.10%. The decade spanning 1991-2000 exhibited the highest growth rate of 8.00%, followed by 7.29 % from 2001-10 and the lowest growth rate of -0.18% observed in the most recent decade.
Kumar et al., (2012) reported a substantial growth of 11.8% in buffalo meat exports from India between 1991 and 2011.
Bardhan (2007) estimated that egg exports surged by 19.08% from 1980 to 2004, while milk equivalent exports and meat/meat preparations increased by 19.08% and 8.23%, respectively, during the same period.
Table 5 depicts the variability in livestock product exports from 1991 to 2021. Across all livestock categories, there was notable stability, ranging from 30.39% to 86.77% throughout the study duration. Examining specific commodities, dairy product exports experienced considerable instability, recording 81.65% during the 1991-2000 decade and 57.43% in the most recent decade (2011-2021), with an overall instability of 68.11%, highlighting its volatile export nature. Poultry products exhibited the highest instability, at 86.77% over the entire study period. The post-globalization decade displayed the highest instability at 107.47%, which decreased notably to 52.79% from 2001-2010 and further reduced to 17.53% during the last decade, indicating a trend toward increased stability since 1991. Meat exports showed relatively more stability compared to dairy and poultry, with a moderate range of instability at 30.39% during the study period. The 1991-2000 decade showcased 18.19% instability, followed by 12.67% in the last decade. Overall, the findings suggest that since the post-WTO period, livestock product exports from India have demonstrated instability.
